Leftovers were a norm in our home growing up and it still is to this day. It is cost-efficient, helps with time management and it is not wasteful. I appreciate all of that, that is why I’m sharing this information with you. Does anyone else feel like this too? Oh, let’s not forget, it also allows our creative juices to flow. I’m a huge believer and supporter of home-cooked meals, that’s part of the reason I created my second book, “Shut Up and Cook!”
Sending a reminder to us all to just get into the kitchen and cook, to nourish both ourselves and loved ones. The other day, one of my children made pasta with marinara sauce. It looked and smelled so delicious. That same day, for dinner, I made everyone (except me, the vegan) grilled herb chicken breast and tenders. The next day, I opened the refrigerator and saw extra noodles from my children’s lunch from the previous day (without the marinara sauce) and some of the extra herb chicken.
As I stood there staring, a vision came to mind, that vision was to combine the chicken and pasta together along with extra ingredients to make it more appealing, turning it into a new meal. Excited to manifest my vision, I did just that.
Method Of Preparation:
I took one lemon and a bit of Parmesan cheese, added the noodles and chicken into a Dutch oven pot (use whatever kind of pot you have, this is about getting the job done). I added a little bit of water (about 1/8c) so that the noodles would not stick to the pot as I stirred. I drizzled a bit of olive oil over it, squeezed fresh lemon juice from 1/2 of a lemon I then took some zest from that same lemon and finely grated it on top and added some finely grated Parmesan cheese to the mixture along with a pinch of crushed red chili flakes. I then ground course black-pepper on top, mixed it all together and added one more round of shaved Parmesan for the final presentation. It was a huge hit.
They loved it, and I was pretty impressed I must admit. The look of it made me feel like I was in a restaurant hawking someone else’s entree. This leftover dish was pretty. I was so impressed, yep, I had to photograph it (See actual photo above). You too can create leftover magic, simply allow the creative juices to flow through you and make an attempt. Use gluten-free, quinoa, brown rice or whatever pasta you have. Go for it and Shut Up and Cook!
